Apparatus for seizing the yarn ends of spinning cops or similar yarn coils



APPARATUS FOR SESIZING, THE YARN ENDS OF SPINNING COPS 0R SIMILAR YARN COILS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov.'l4, 1967 Y s FURST 3,352,504

Filed July 25, 1966 Nov. 14,1967 s. FURST 3, 52 04 APPARATUS FOR SEIZING THE YARN ENDS OF SPINNING COPS OR SIMILAR YARN COILS Filed July 25-, 1 966 2 Sheets-Sheet z United States Patent 5 Claims. of. 242-356) My invention relates to apparatus for seizing the yarn ends of spinning cops or silimar yarn coils preparatory to unwinding the coils.

More particularly, the apparatus of my invention is suitable for readying yarn coils having a yarn end which is wound from near the coil tip backwards to the coil foot, wherein the coil foot is placed opposite to at least one nozzle producing an air flow primarily directed axially to the coil.

In Patent No. 3,031,149, issued Apr. 24, 1962, of which I am a coinventor, there is disclosed a method and apparatus for readying a yarn coil to be unwound in an unwinding operation wherein a yarn end is wound backward from the coil tip to the coil foot, the coil foot being exposed to an air current acting in the axial direction of the coil. Both the outer backwards wound yarn end as well as the inner starting end of the yarn are thereby removed from the coil. Of the two yarn ends which are located in the air current, a portion of the inner starting end of the yarn is severed in the vicinity of the coil core while the outer yarn portion backwardly wound from the coil tip to the coil foot is clamped. A method of this type or an apparatus suitable for carrying out such a method does not however operate fully satisfactorily, since it is absolutely necessary, in order to obtain trouble-free operation, that both of the yarn ends of the coil must lie fully se arated from one another. This is not always readily possible in actual practice because both yarn ends are frequently twisted together in such a way that it is impossible to handle or operate on both yarn ends differently, namely to sever one of the ends while clamping the other end. Consequently, various other suggestions have become known for trouble-free readying of the ends of yarn coils or the like that are to be unwound, which however either provide no assurance for absolutely safe operation under all conditions or require a great deal of expense.

It is accordingly an object of my invention to provide apparatus for readying the yarn end of spinning cops or similar yarn coils for an unwinding operation which avoids the foregoing disadvantages of the known apparatuses for this purpose and which will ensure virtually trouble-free operation without excessive expense.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, I provide in the vicinity of the coil foot, a yarn clamping device for the yarn ends located in the air current which has a clamping force that is smaller than the rupture strength of the cop yarn. The readying of the yarn ends of the coils or the like which are to be unwound then takes place by the yarn clamping device seizing the freely disposed yarn ends which are located in the air current. With a consequent relative motion between the yarn clamping device on the one hand and the spinning cop or yarn coil or the like on the other hand, the inner starting end portion of the yarn wound on the spinning cop is drawn out of the yarn clamp due to its shorter length whereas the outer end portion of the yarn extending from the coil foot to the coil tip is gripped in the clamp. The apparatus of my invention provides the advantage that the yarn end which is to be unwound can be gripped by the simplest means without requiring separate manipulat 3,352,504 Patented Nov. 14, 1967 tion or treatment of both yarn ends which are located at the coil foot.

In accordance with a further feature of my invention a particularly secure gripping of the yarn end leading from the coil foot to the tip can also be achieved with smooth yarns especially if at least one side or jaw of the clamp is comprised of elastic material whose coeflicient of friction is greater than that of the yarn material.

With many machines for producing spinning cops or similar yarn coils, it is possible that the inner starting end portion of the yarn which, as abovedescribed, must pull out of the clamp due to the subsequent relative motion, may turn out to be especially long. In such a case, it can be advantageous to provide an additional yarnsevering device in such a way that the yarn-clamping device is located between the coil foot and the yarn-severing device.

In accordance with yet another feature of my invention which simplifies the structure thereof, the clamping device and the severing device can be constructed as a single unit.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in apparatus for seizing the yarn ends of spinning cops or similar yarn coils, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof Will be best understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows schematically four sequential steps of a readying operation;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross section taken along the line IIII in step III of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a schematic elevational view of an automatic coil winding machine which includes a readying apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view of several of the components of the machine shown in FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown in the position I both yarn ends a and b of the spinning cop 1 at the foot thereof, the yarn end b being the inner starting end portion of yarn, whereas the yarn end a forms the outer end portion of the yarn wound backwardly from near the coil tip to the coil foot.

In the position II of FIG. 1, a suction nozzle 2 has been moved from the left toward the foot of the cop so as to form an annular nozzle opening together therewith, the cop and the coil being coaxially aligned. The cop 1 rests upon a support or stop 3 which engages the yarn end a that is to be unwound from the cop by suction from the nozzle 2 and thereby limits the extent of such unwinding.

Suction is applied to the nozzle 2 in a known manner so that a current of air is drawn into the nozzle with the effect of pulling the yarn ends a and 19 away from the cop foot. After the yarn ends are pulled into the suction nozzle 2, the latter is axially displaced toward the left a short distance away from the cop and, as shown in position III of FIG. 1, the yarn-clamping device 4 of the invention is inserted, as shown. Both of the yarn ends a and b which usually become twisted together are then seized in this yarn clamp 4. After being seized by the clamp 4, the cop, as shown in position IV of FIG. 1, glides downwardly along an inclined slideway6. Due to this relative motion between the clamping device 4 and the coil 1, the inner starting end portion of the yarn b, which cannot be further lengthened because it is firmly held by the subsequent windings of the coil superimposed thereon, is pulled out of the yarn clamp 4. On the other hand, the yarn clamp grips the outer end portion a of the yarn coil with such force that due to the relative motion between the clamp 4 and the coil 1, the yarn end a is lengthened by being pulled from its point of engagement with the stop 3 and the steeply pitched backwardly wound yarn portion is partly unwound. A drive roller located adjacent slideway 6 can simplify the unwinding of the yarn end a by engaging the cop as it is located in the slideway and suitably. rotating the cop in the unwinding direction of the yarn end a. y

In the enlarged view of the yarn-clamping device 4 in FIG. 2 of the drawing, it may be clearly noted that the clamping device shown comprises two parts 4a and 4b between which a middle part 4c is inserted. This middle part 4c is constructed, on the side thereof which is adjacent. to the part 4a, as a severing device when used in combination with the part 4a, whereas the other side of the middle part 40 is provided with an elastic material which is located adjacent to a similar elastic surface provided on the part 4b. Almost any reasonably. elastic material is suitable for this purpose, particularly such materials as rubber, synthetics, or the like. As soon as the part 40 is inserted between the parts 4a and 4b, a severing of the twisted yarn ends a and b occurs between the parts 4a and 4c, while both. of the yarn ends a and b are clamped between the parts 40 and 4b. By the subsequent rel-ative motion between the clamping device 4 and the coil 1, as the coil slides down the slideway 6, the yarn end b is pulled out of the clamp formed by the parts 4b and 40. As soon as the coil 1, for example, in the manner described in the aforementioned Patent No. 3,031,149, is transferred onto the unwinding mandrel of a spinning machine, the yarn end a located between the clamping parts 4b and 40 can be passed either with the clamping device 4 or by a special gripping member in a conventional manner to the knotting device for further processing.

The above-described operation is embodied in the performance. of the automatic coil-winding machine illustrated in FIG. 3. This machine serves to wind. a large yarn package 17, such as a cross-wound coil, from a number of spinning cops. After depletion of a cop, the yarn supplied by the next following cop must first be tied together with the end of the yarn already wound up on the larger yarn package to be produced, before the winding operation is'continued and repeated until the new package has the desired quantity of yarn.

The cops 1 which serve as yarn supply are accommodated within a magazine 7. The lowermost cop rests upon transverse rods 8, 9 which form part of a locking device and can be displaced horizontally out of the magazine space to. release the lowermost cop which then drops to the readying position beneath the rods Sand 9. FIG. 3 shows one cop just released from the magazine and supported on the stop structure 3 as well as on the top end of the inclined slide 6 mentioned above with reference to FIG. 1. While cop 1 occupies this position, a suction tube 2, pivotally mounted at 2d, is turned clockwise away from position 2 until itssuction nozzle surrounds the cop foot and draws the yarn ends into it. When the nozzle is then removed, the yarn ends are seized by the clamp 4.

When thereafter the cop is released, it slides downward along slide 6 through the position denoted by 1'. The outer yarn end now passing from the cop to the clamp 4 is denoted by a. At the end of its downward travel, the tubular core of the cop is speared onto a mandrel 11 mounted on a holder 11a pivoted at 11b. By means of holder 11a the cop is thereafter turned to the position denoted by l, Now the cop is ready to operate as a supply coil for the automatic winding means mounted on the machine frame 10.

After the yarn F from the cop, now in position 1", is tied together, in the manner described below, with the yarn end coming from the take-up spool 17, the yarn F extends from cop 1" over a guard or feeler member 13 pivoted at 13a and biased into engagement with the yarn.

and the Weight of the frame structure 18, rests against the periphery of the guiding drum 16; and the drum 16 is simultaneously operative in the known manner to reciprocate the oncoming yarn axially along the take-up spool 17- in order to produce the desired cross-wound yarn package.

If the yarn breaks or the supply coil becomes depleted, one or both of the guards 13 and 15, under their bias, deflect from the illustrated positions and thus con.- trol the drive of the winder shaft 16a to stop. Now a suction arm 19, pivoted at 19a to the machine structure and having a suction nozzle at 19b that extends along spool 17, becomes effective to seize the. yarn end from spool 17 and to suck some length of yarn into the suction arm. Thereafter the arm 19 turns clockwise about its pivot 19a along a circular path 20 thus placing the yarnend of spool 17 in front of a knotter 12. In a similar manner, the yarn end coming from the supply coil 1" is seized and conveyed toward the knotter 12 along a circular path at 21. This is done by another suctiontube 22 pivoted at 22a.

is joined with an arm 25 engageable with two limiting stops 26 and 27. The drive for the shaft 23is located with in a housing 28 on which an arm 29 is pivotally mounted.

Arm 29 is connected by a linking rod 30 with a lock con! trol lever 31 pivoted at 33. The above-mentioned locking rods 8, 9 as well as the stop 3 are linked to the lever 31. Another locking rod 32 is fastened to linking rod 30. When the arm 31 turns clockwise about pivot 33, the rods 8, 9 release the lowermost cop from the magazine 7. While the rod 32 passes into the magazine beneath the next upper cop, thus retaining all other cops in the magazine.

The operation of thedevi ce according to the invention, forming part of the machine described above with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, is as follows.

At the commencement of the readying operation, the lowermost cop 1 in the magazine 7, resting upon stop 3, is first approached by the suction nozzle 2 which places itself about the cop foot and then operates to pull off the outer yarn end a and the inner yarn end b, as described above. Thereafter, the suction nozzle 2 turns to position 2 so that the clamp 4 can enter between thesuction nozzle 2 and the foot of cop 1. The clamp 4 seizes the yarn ends a and b.

The cop then remains in position on stop 3 until it is called upon to substitute a previously depleted yarnsupplying cop in the coil-winding machine. This is done by operation of the lever 31 which removes the stop 3 from the lowermost cop so that the cop 1 now drops along inclined slide 6 through the position 1' onto the mandrel 11. Since the inner yarn end b is shorter than the outer yarn portion a, the end b is pulled out of the clamp 4 while the end a remains gripped thereby. The mandrel 11 then transfers the cop into the position 1". The yarn end is then located between the cop 1", the clamp 4 and the suction nozzle 2. Hence, the yarn end Details in design and operation of the clamp 4 are is now placed at a given location, namely between clamp 4 and the suction tube now in position 2, whence it can be seized by the suction arm 22 and conveyed to the knotter 12. The suction arm 22 now turns downwardly along the circular path 21 and seizes the yarn end before the arm returns upwardly to convey the yarn end to the knotter (see, for example, German Patent 923,415). Shortly prior to moment of seizure, the clamp 4 is opened so that the suction tube 22 can freely entrain the yarn end toward the knotter 12.

During operation of the clamp 4, the clamp shaft 23 is first turned clockwise and the entire clamping device is turned in the same sense until the arm 25 abuts against stop 27. This determines the lowermost position of the clamp 4. While the clamp shaft 23 continues rotating clockwise, the part 40 driven by lever 24 is turned counterclockwise so that the clamp jaws are closed. During return movement of the lever 24, the clamp 4 is first moved back into the position shown in FIG. 4 until the arm 25 abuts against stop 26. During further return movement of arm 25, the clamp mechanism is again opened.

The release of the spinning cop 1 in the magazine 7 by the locking rods 8 and 9, the stop 3 and the locking rod 32 is controlled by counterclockwise movement of arm 29. During such movement, the stop 3 is pulled toward the right (FIG. 4) so that the lowermost cop 1 drops out of the magazine 7. An untimely release of the next upper cop 1 is prevented by the rod 32. However, the third upper cop can drop onto the locking rods 8 and 9 as soon as the rod 32 moves back toward the left.

During movement of arm 29 in the clockwise sense, the stop 3 again shifts toward the left, whereas the locking rods 8, 9 move toward the right so that the spinning cop still located in the second lowest position is released by rod 9 and drops onto the stop 3. At the same time, the locking rod 32 passes beneath the next upper cop. Thereafter, the arm 29 is returned into the mid-position shown in FIG. 4, so that the cop located on rod 32 can now drop onto rods 8, 9.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for readying of cops and the like yarn coils having an inner starting portion of yarn limited in length by the coil windings superimposed thereon and having an outer end portion of a yarn length wound from near the coil tip to the coil foot, comprising an air-current nozzle, means for accommodating the cop in a position wherein the coil foot is located coaxially in front of said nozzle for subjecting the coil to a substantially axial air current for drawing the end portions of yarn into said nozzle, a yarn-clamping device situated near the coil-foot location when the cop is in said position and adapted for clamping the yarn portions in the air current, said device having a clamping force smaller than the rupture strength of the cop yarn, and means causing relative motion between the cop and said yarn-clam ing device so as to increase the length of the outer end yarn portion by partly unwinding the outer yarn length whereby the starting yarn portion of limited length is pulled out of said clamping device so that only the outer end portion remains clamped because of its increased length.

2. In cop-readying apparatus according to claim 1, said clamping device having two mutually engageable clamping members, at least one of said members being formed of elastic material having a coefi'icient of friction higher than that of the yarn.

3. Cop-readying apparatus according to claim 1, com prising yarn-severing means for shortening said clamped end portion of yarn, said clamping device being arranged between said severing means and the coil-foot location of said portion.

4. In cop-readying apparatus according to claim 3, said severing means forming part of said clamping device.

5. Cop-readying apparatus according to claim 1, including a stop member engaging the outer end portion of yarn intermediate the coil tip and the coil foot for limiting unwinding of the outer yarn length by said air-current nozzle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,031,149 4/ 1962 Furst et al. 242-35.6

STANLEY N. GllREATH, Primary Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR READYING OF COPS AND THE LIKE YARN COILS HAVING AN INNER STARTING PORTION OF YARN LIMITED IN LENGTH BY THE COIL WINDINGS SUPERIMPOSED THEREON AND HAVING AN OUTER END PORTION OF A YARN LENGTH WOUND FROM NEAR THE COIL TIP TO THE COIL FOOT, COMPRISING AN AIR-CURRENT NOZZLE, MEANS FOR ACCOMMODATING THE COP IN A POSITION WHEREIN THE COIL FOOT IS LOCATED COAXIALLY IN FRONT OF SAID NOZZLE FOR SUBJECTING THE COIL TO A SUBSTANTIALLY AXIAL AIR CURRENT FOR DRAWING THE END PORTIONS OF YARN INTO SAID NOZZLE, A YARN-CLAMPING DEVICE SITUATED NEAR THE COIL-FOOT LOCATION WHEN THE COP IS IN SAID POSITION AND ADAPTED FOR CLAMPING THE YARN PORTIONS IN THE AIR CURRENT, SAID DEVICE HAVING A CLAMPING FORCE SMALLER THAN THE RUPTURE STRENGTH OF THE COP YARN, AND MEANS CAUSING RELATIVE MOTION BETWEEN THE COP AND SAID YARN-CLAMPING DEVICE SO AS TO INCREASE THE LENGTH OF THE OUTER END YARN PORTION BY PARTLY UNWINDING THE OUTER YARN LENGTH WHEREBY THE STARTING YARN PORTION OF LIMITED LENGTH IS PULLED OUT OF SAID CLAMPING DEVICE SO THAT ONLY THE OUTER END PORTION REMAINS CLAMPED BECAUSE OF ITS INCREASED LENGTH. 